1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a tool. More particularly the present invention relates to a tool for installing culvert bands.
2. Background Art
Galvanized, corrugated culverts are used under railroad right of ways, roads, driveways, and anyplace drainage is required. Adjoining culverts are connected via a culvert band which overlaps the ends of the two culverts. The band is a corrugated sleeve that has been split, the split ends having flanges on the free ends so the sleeve can be drawn into a full circle with a bolt or bolts.
A culvert band installation tool allows an individual to install the culvert bands on the corrugated culvert. In the past, a length of “all-thread” was used for banding two corrugated culverts. An installer using all-thread lacks control and the process may be dangerous. Two installers must be present when using all-thread for banding corrugated culvert. The installation can be time-consuming, depending on the size of the culvert band being installed.
A tool for contracting culvert bands was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,787,442. The culvert band is contracted by applying a force to a lever. The force results in a contraction of “jaws” made to draw the ends of the culvert band together. Some method of stabilizing the culvert band must be incorporated in the installation using this tool because, when force is applied to the lever, the culvert band will tend to rotate around the culverts. Too, a significant amount of room must be available to operate this tool as the lever is, necessarily, quite long.
Another tool for pulling together and spreading spaced flanges is revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,783. This tool operates like a caliper, having a screw connected to a hand-wheel providing the mechanical advantage required to band culverts with a culvert band. Because the ends of the calipers that engage the flanges necessarily pivot on the calipers, the flanges of a culvert band may tend to bend so the top edges are closer to each other than the bottom edges.
A tool for drawing the ends of a pipe repair clamp (not a culvert band) together is introduced in U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,694. The tool has a two-stage operation. The first stage is for rapidly taking up any slack that might be in the repair clamp. The second is carried out with a screw and is for applying the necessary force for tightening the clamp on the pipe being repaired. The screw engages a scissor-type linkage that provides additional mechanical advantage beyond that of the screw.
There is, therefore, a need for a method and device for joining two corrugated culverts with a culvert band that can be carried out quickly by a single operator. There is an additional need for a safe method and apparatus for joining two corrugated culverts with a culvert band.